General A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of highest military ranks, high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers t ...

Sir Samuel Burdon Ellis (bapt. 10 March 1782 – 10 March 1865) was a senior

Royal Marines The Corps of Royal Marines (RM), also known as the Royal Marines Commandos, are the UK's special operations capable commando force, amphibious light infantry and also one of the five fighting arms of the Royal Navy. The Corps of Royal Marine ...

officer.

Early life

Ellis was born in 1782, the son of Captain Charles Ellis, R.N. and his wife Susanna.

Life

Ellis entered the

Royal Marine Light Infantry The history of the Royal Marines began on 28 October 1664 with the formation of the Duke of York and Albany's Maritime Regiment of Foot soon becoming known as the Admiral's Regiment. During the War of the Spanish Succession the most historic achi ...

as a second lieutenant on 1 January 1804. He was at once sent on board ship, and, after first seeing service in Sir

Robert Calder Admiral Sir Robert Calder, 1st Baronet, (2 July 174531 August 1818) was a British naval officer who served in the Seven Years' War, the American Revolutionary War, the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars. For much of his career ...

's action off

Cape Finisterre Cape Finisterre (, also ; gl, Cabo Fisterra, italic=no ; es, Cabo Finisterre, italic=no ) is a rock-bound peninsula on the west coast of Galicia, Spain. In Roman times it was believed to be an end of the known world. The name Finisterre, like ...

, was present at the

Battle of Trafalgar The Battle of Trafalgar (21 October 1805) was a naval engagement between the British Royal Navy and the combined fleets of the French and Spanish Navies during the War of the Third Coalition (August–December 1805) of the Napoleonic Wars (180 ...

. He was quickly promoted to lieutenant in 1806. He was present in the

Walcheren expedition The Walcheren Campaign ( ) was an unsuccessful British expedition to the Netherlands in 1809 intended to open another front in the Austrian Empire's struggle with France during the War of the Fifth Coalition. Sir John Pitt, 2nd Earl of Chatham ...

in 1809 and in the capture of Guadeloupe in 1810, and being on board , was later employed off the coast. Firstly, he was employed off the coast of Spain and then of southern France during the latter years of the Peninsular war. He specially distinguished himself in the operations which the navy took in helping to form the siege of Bayonne, after Wellington's victory of the Nive and Soult's retreat on Toulouse. His ship was then ordered to the

North American North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Ca ...

coast, where she captured the American frigate after a fierce fight, during which Ellis particularly distinguished himself, being the first man to board the enemy. On the conclusion of peace, Ellis had no further opportunity to see service, and it was not until 15 November 1826, when he had been more than twenty years in the Marines, that he was promoted captain. It was not until many more years had passed, during which Ellis was employed in many different ships. He again saw service in the capture of Fort Manora, which commands the entrance to the harbour of

Karachi Karachi (; ur, ; ; ) is the most populous city in Pakistan and 12th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 20 million. It is situated at the southern tip of the country along the Arabian Sea coast. It is the former cap ...

, in 1839. He next commanded the marines employed in the

Persian Gulf The Persian Gulf ( fa, خلیج فارس, translit=xalij-e fârs, lit=Gulf of Persis, Fars, ), sometimes called the ( ar, اَلْخَلِيْجُ ٱلْعَرَبِيُّ, Al-Khalīj al-ˁArabī), is a Mediterranean sea (oceanography), me ...

, and was

mentioned in despatches To be mentioned in dispatches (or despatches, MiD) describes a member of the armed forces whose name appears in an official report written by a superior officer and sent to the high command, in which their gallant or meritorious action in the face ...

for his services in bringing off the political resident at

Bushire Bushehr, Booshehr or Bushire ( fa, بوشهر ; also romanised as ''Būshehr'', ''Bouchehr'', ''Buschir'' and ''Busehr''), also known as Bandar Bushehr ( fa, ; also romanised as ''Bandar Būshehr'' and ''Bandar-e Būshehr''), previously Antioc ...

during a riot there, and saving his life. When the

First Opium War The First Opium War (), also known as the Opium War or the Anglo-Sino War was a series of military engagements fought between Britain and the Qing dynasty of China between 1839 and 1842. The immediate issue was the Chinese enforcement of the ...

broke out in 1840, he was employed on the

China station The Commander-in-Chief, China was the admiral in command of what was usually known as the China Station, at once both a British Royal Navy naval formation and its admiral in command. It was created in 1865 and deactivated in 1941. From 1831 to 18 ...

. For his services in command of a battalion of marines at the

capture of Chusan The First Capture of Chusan () by British forces in China occurred on 5–6 July 1840 during the First Opium War. The British captured Chusan (Zhoushan), the largest island of an archipelago of that name. Background The Kangxi Emperor esta ...

on 5 July 1840, and at the

Second Battle of Chuenpi The Second Battle of Chuenpi () was fought between British and Chinese forces in the Pearl River Delta, Guangdong province, China, on 7January 1841 during the First Opium War. The British launched an amphibious attack at the Humen strait (Bogu ...

on 7 January 1841, he was promoted major by brevet on 6 May 1841. Before the news of his promotion reached him, he had still further distinguished himself with his marines in the bombardment of the Bogue forts. He commanded the advance on Canton, and the services of his men were so great at the storming of the Canton forts on 26 May 1841, that he was promoted lieutenant colonel by brevet, antedated to that day, and made a

Companion of the Order of the Bath Companion may refer to: Relationships Currently * Any of several interpersonal relationships such as friend or acquaintance * A domestic partner, akin to a spouse * Sober companion, an addiction treatment coach * Companion (caregiving), a caregive ...

. He then commanded a battalion of marines at the

Battle of Ningpo The Battle of Ningpo was an unsuccessful Chinese attempt to recapture the British-occupied city of Ningbo (Ningpo) during the First Opium War. British forces had bloodlessly captured the city after their victory at Chinhai, and a Chinese force u ...

and the second capture of Chusan until the conclusion of the war, when he returned to England. He was promoted colonel on 3 November 1851, and commanded the Chatham division of the Royal Marines, until he became major general on 20 June 1855. He was promoted lieutenant general in 1857, made a

Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I of Great Britain, George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate medieval ceremony for appointing a knight, which involved Bathing#Medieval ...

in 1860, promoted general in 1862. He died at Old Charlton on 10 March 1865, after having been an officer of marines for more than sixty years, at the age of seventy-eight.

Family

He was married twice; first, in 1819, to Catherine Matilda Meredith (1796–1847) with whom he had four children. Secondly, in 1851, to Louisa Drayson (1814–1894) with whom he had one son.

Notes

References

;Attribution * Endnotes: **Hart's ''Army List'' **''Gentlemen's Magazine'' April 1865.

Early life

Life

Family

Notes

References

Further reading